Mastermind 2: Copycat
by CreativePanda22
Summary: It has been 4 months since the iconic duo stopped the Mastermind and were lucky enough to walk away with their lives. However, a new threat comes knocking on their door through another white envelope. Although the Mastermind may be dead, his copycat has emerged and is more dangerous than his predecessor.Wil Nick and Judy catch this new threat and battle their inner demons together?
1. Chapter 1: And So It Begins

TRIGGER WARNING. I would just like to throw out there that this one is going to be harsher and more intense than the first one. This one will be even more of a roller coaster ride than the first one. It will also deal with very touchy subjects such as suicide.

Also, if you haven't read the first book in this series, please do. It is called Mastermind. Please go check that out. It won't be as well written as this one as I have grown much as a writer. With that said, enjoy. ALL RIGHTS TO ZOOTOPIA BELONG TO DISNEY, I ONLY OWN THE PLOT.

There were two things surrounding Nick. The darkness and dampness of his room and his thoughts. The room wasn't much. The carpet was ripped in the corners and there were water marks on the ceiling. The old-fashioned wallpaper, outdated years ago, was peeling at the corner which was located above the one person table where Nick ate many meals alone. That was when Judy wasn't over of course.

The chair that Nick sat in faced the window and his wide emerald eyes stared out onto the city which he and Judy had been protecting for what seemed to be an eternity. It was almost dark, and the lights were shining out of every window as far as the eye could see. Some called Zootopia the city that never sleeps and Nick certainly wouldn't disagree. He himself hasn't slept. Not since the incident.

His eyes were glazed over by the warm tears resting in them. Tears that held so much heartbreak and sorrow, Nick couldn't bear them any longer.

A silver shine caught his eye making him take his eyes from the window and track the metal object that had been resting in his paw for quite some time. He stared, water droplets falling from his eyes and landing on his jeans, creating oldy shaped dark marks on them. Nick's heart and soul were wrestling and his stomach was clenched and twisted into a thousand knots. But his brain didn't tell him to stop. It didn't tell him to call Judy.

Judy.

Nick glanced over at the piece of paper sitting on the desk to his right. It had Judy written on the top of it. A letter that had taken Nick a hundred times to write. It still wasn't perfect but he didn't have the means of writing it again. Next to her name was a heart, a poorly drawn one at that.

Nick shuddered and turned his gaze back to the revolver in his hand. He twisted it and looked at it, inspecting every inch of it before he began. Everything was silent, his brain had blocked out the everyday noises of his apartment. The dripping of the drain that wouldn't shut off, the clicking of the fridge, and the squeaking of the floorboards outside in the hallway. All of them seemed to fade away. Their noises replaced with screaming.

Judy's screams. His mind replayed the scene over and over again in his mind.

" _This is all your fault you worthless fox…"_

Screaming...

" _She never loved you. She was never your friend Nick. She feared you."_

More screaming...

" _Did you ever think that a friendship between a bunny and a fox would ever work?"_

The muzzle...

There seemed to be no stopping the rainstorm that was now coming out of his eyes. Just as a tear fell to the shiny metal of the gun, Nick raised his right hand and stood up, still facing the window. He was wearing his brand new tux Judy had helped him buy a few weeks ago. His tie was loosely tied due to his lack of ability to do it properly. Plus, shaking hands don't make good for tying ties anyway.

The cold metal of the revolver rested against his temple, it's soothing and smooth surface caressing his fur. His finger moved to the trigger and started to move. Closer and closer it came.

His mind had blocked out everything around him to the point where he didn't hear the door burst open as Judy came in. Even if he had, he was too close.

BANG…

 _4 weeks before:_

"Good work today, Judy!" Clawhauser's loud and cheery voice flooded the lobby of the precinct as Nick and Judy approached him. Officers in blue alike turned to see the wide-smiled Clawhauser.

"All in a day's work," she replied with a smile.

"A day? Carrot's, it's not even lunch yet! Who knows, maybe we will do something else amazing the end of the day." Nick smiled, bumping Judy's arm with his, "Although I do have to admit, I am kinda tired. Mind sharin' one of those donuts with me, Ben?"

Reaching underneath the counter, Clawhauser pulled out a whole box full, followed by a muffled, "Anyone you like!"

Reaching into the box, Nick pulled out a chocolate donut with purple and blue icing on it. "Thanks, I owe ya!"

"Hopps, Wilde, my office, now!"

Bogo's voice rang out through the building as they both turned to Clawhauser. "Don't look at me," he said in reply. "Maybe that's his happy sound. I mean, we wouldn't know because no one has ever heard it before."

Nick laughed. "There is only one problem Ben. I have heard that voice before."

Nick and Judy hastily made their way down the hallway. Stepping into his office, Nick and Judy prepared for the worst, their thoughts trailing to every possible reason they could have been called into the office.

Bogo's office was a large square of walls lined up and down with cork boards and whiteboards which in themselves were covered in color and scribbles. His desk was cluttered with many papers and electronics. However, in the middle of his desk, it was empty all but one white envelope.

"Good afternoon Officers, please have a seat."

Turning to Nick, she gave him a strange look, conveying her strange thoughts on the behavior of their fearless leader. Shrugging, the two took their seats in the red-lined chairs on the opposing side of the desk to Bogo.

"I know that it has been months since the Mastermind case. I never told you congrats, or how proud I was of you two staying strong through it all."

He paused and took a deep breath. Nick was starting to become suspicious of Bogo's actions while Judy was still wondering why they were here in the first place, her mind still lingering with fear of being in trouble.

"But, I am afraid I have bad news. This was dropped off this morning to one of our cleaning people that were washing the windows on the outside of the building. She said that the male was a cat, yet couldn't tell the species under the black hoodie that he was wearing. He asked her to give it to you, Judy."

Placing his hoof on the envelope, he slid it down the clear path on his oak desk, pushing it to Judy.

Without so much of a thought, Judy grabbed the letter and opened it, the tearing building enough tension in the air it could have snapped. With a deep breath, she opened her mouth and began to read in a steady, yet shaky voice.

"Dear Judy,

How has life been? Good? I hope so, cause that will make this all the more fun. You know, the city has finally been able to calm down after that whole Mastermind incident a few months back. But funny thing. I don't like calm. It's too… dull. I like action and suspense. And since you and your ZPD buddies seem to be doing a good job at keeping the calm, I'm gonna change that. Consider me Mastermind 2.0. But just Mastermind will suffice. Stings, doesn't it, to read that name. But know this. I will not make any mistakes and if you want to catch me? Be willing to pay the price. I know the old Mastermind would look down and smile upon me. For I shall carry on his legacy, and believe me. I will finish what he started. I am raising the stakes. If you won't come to Brigham's Toyshop at exactly 19 hours, I will travel to bunny burrow and make sure you have a few less siblings than before. But it's up to you. I mean what is a few little bunnies compared to a big world like this. Plus your mother can always have more right? Well, I best be on my way. Wouldn't want to be late for our date tonight.

Love,

The mastermind."

Judy felt sick to her stomach. The feeling that she was going to throw up came instantly and she threw the letter on the desk and sprinted out of the room, letting Bogo's office door slam behind her. When she made it to the bathroom, she barely had time to get over the toilet before she lost everything that she had eaten for the last few days. Along with that, she could feel the tears starting to form in her eyes, her eyes that were filled with disbelief and disgust.

Back in Bogo's office, Nick was sitting rigidly in his seat. His emerald eyes were stuck fast on the letter on Bogo's desk. He hadn't even noticed Judy sprint from the room. He felt like he was going to pass out. Nick had ended the Masterminds life, to what? Provoke a copycat? Now he felt sick. But not the kind of sick where he thought he was going to throw up. The kind of sick that you get when your gut is telling you something.

Bogo couldn't seem to say anything either. He figured that there was a chance that that was what the letter was about but he had no idea that it would be this bad. He had watched as Judy got up and sprinted from the room and now sat staring at Nick wondering how to provoke conversation. However, there was no need.

After a few moments, Nick finally came too and looked over at the empty red chair that sits beside him before swiftly grasping the letter in his paw, crushing it in the process, and sprinting out of the room as Judy had.

With the bang of his office door, Bogo was left in silence, wondering if he should have read the letter first and went about this another way. He decided that despite their reaction it was only right to let them read it. But he prayed that his best officers would be able to handle another blow like this.

Glancing behind him he looked at the paperwork that he was about to hand the duo. Two applications for a promotion to detective, first grade. Slipping them into his desk, he decided to leave the two alone for a little while and pray that they can make it out of this one alive.

(A/N: Well, I'm back! And man does it feel good. I told you guys to expect the sequel around December so I only thought it fitting to post it the day before as a little surprise. As some of you may have noticed, my other story, the 17 days you were gone, is currently on hold due to my desire to deliver this sequel to you on a shiny platter. As I said in the opener, this one is going to be a lot more action-packed, emotional, and suspenseful than the first one. But don't worry, I promise that there is another happy ending just around the corner ;) Anyways, I hoped that you enjoyed the first chapter of this new story. (How did you feel about the beginning?) Don't forget to leave a comment sharing your thoughts and excitement! Love you guys and don't forget… keep on reading!)


	2. Chapter 2: The Secret

The bathroom in the ZPD wasn't anything special. The walls were lined with an ugly, pink color and the floors with a grey color. There wasn't a toilet small enough for a bunny when Judy had first arrived. In fact, it took them a whole year to even consider it and another one to finally install it. Now, she was hunched over it, ears droopy and against her back.

Her world was spinning around her and she didn't know how to stop it. It felt like the whole world was putting pressure on her stomach and it hurt. Everything hurt.

She had thrown up twice now, her stomach lurching in her abdomen. Tears shimmered on her pale fur and made her eyes look like lavender diamonds. She couldn't move, she could only shake. Shaking endlessly, she knelt there.

Silence filled the air of the bathroom. The only noise that could be heard was the quick breathing, in and out. Sharp breaths. But a new noise came instantly as the door to the girls bathroom shot open, it's handle hitting the tile with a crack.

Judy jumped, her eyes turning to meet her partners emerald ones. It didn't cross her mind that he shouldn't be in the girls bathroom and quite frankly it didn't cross Nick's either.

In an instant, Nick was hugging Judy, and she him. Her head was pushed against his chest and she held tight, never wanting to let go. That was when she felt a splash of water on her head. She knew exactly what it was but it still shocked her. She had only seen, or felt in this case, Nick cry, and the last time was during the Mastermind case. And now that it was open again, they were both feeling a huge wave of emotion and denial.

They sat there for what must have felt like an hour, embracing one another. Judy's breathing had slowed to a more normal pace, and Nick's heartbeat was no longer pulsing quickly. No one bothered to disrupt the two so they sat in silence.

"Nick?" Judy's said, shattering the silence that had fallen upon them.

Nick moved slightly at the sound, taking a moment to think about what he was going to say. "Yes, Judy?"

Nick's nicknames for Judy were tells of how he was feeling. If he was feeling overly excited or extremely witty, he would call her fluff. On any given day, he would call her carrots. But he rarely used her actually name. Sometimes he would call her by her full name to anger her but when he called her Judy, most times he was serious and this time was no different.

"What are we going to do?"

The question lingered in the air, hanging above them like the fog on a humid day. Neither really knew the answer to this question but Nick couldn't sit there in silence.

"Catch this bastard, that's what we are going to do." Nick's voice was soft and comforting but there was a bit of a snarl behind his tone when he said this.

Judy sniffled. "Why Nick? Why? I don't think I can live through another one of these." Tears started to flow down her cheeks again. The pain in her stomach seemed to be soothed a bit by Nick's presence but she felt like she was going to throw up again at the thought. The thought that they are going to have to deal with a criminal as sick as the last one. The one that left them physically and emotionally scarred.

"I…" Nick paused, "I don't know." Judy suddenly leaned fully against him, and her crying stopped. Her eyes closed now, Nick held her close. "But Judy?" A muffled yes was all he got in response.

"Remember how not a few months ago, you made me promise to be careful? And I made you promise as well?"

Judy sat up, pulling out of Nick's grasp. "Yeah?" she inquired, looking into Nick's eyes.

"If you don't keep your promise, you have to buy the next three take-out meals we get together." A smirk started to form on Nick's face. Judy rolled her eyes before responding.

"Nick this is serious."

"I know, I know. But, all of our co-workers just saw me sprint into the girl's bathroom. Do you think you want to walk out crying and looking like you died next to the guy who just came in here?"

A small grin started to form on Judy's face. "I kinda feel like I did. I feel like I threw up half my soul." Nick couldn't help but grin even wider. Whenever Judy was happy, it make him happy. She was a ray of light in his life that he refused to let go out, ever. Even if that meant cracking jokes at a time like this, just seeing her smile made every part of him happy.

"I think that we should probably go, I don't want people thinking that there is any funny business going on. Plus, we have a date tonight," Judy ended gravely. The two motionlessly shuttered at the remembrance of his letter.

Nick stood first, reaching his paw down to Judy and helping her off the ugly tiled floor. Before she moved, Nick gently took his finger and brushed the tears off of Judy's face before grabbing her hand.

"Are you ready to go catch this sick bastard?"

Judy looked up at Nick and squeezed his hand. "You have no idea."

Just having Nick there with her calmed her. That's how it has been since his first day on the job after the nighthowler case. If she was ever stressed out or upset, he was the only thing that could comfort her and calm her down. Being that her family lived hours away, they weren't always there for her in trying times. But whether it was 2:00 in the morning or a late work night, she could always call him and he would be there. And this time was no different.

They didn't care what anyone would think when they left the bathroom holding hands. Judy leaned up against his arm and together they walked to their shared cubicle to open a case neither of them either hoped they would have to open.

After copying the letter down so the pair could analyze it, they sent the original down to the lab to check for fingerprints or DNA that would help them track down the Mastermind. Now it sat on Judy's desk, staring back at her. Her head resting in her hands, she sat there motionless, just gazing at the letter and thinking.

It was four hours before their meet up with the Mastermind and both wished the clock would just stop. Just stop and give them time to think, time to process. Just time.

"Carrots, I think your eyes might fall out if you stare at that letter any longer."

Judy shook her head as if to avert her gaze. She turned her head to look at Nick.

Their little cubicle was small but spacy. They both shared a desk that formed a c shape. Judy always used the left side of the desk and Nick the right. The middle part of the desk was where the two organized all of their paperwork and such.

Judy's side was lined with pictures of her family and her siblings, mainly the ones from her litter. There was also an occasional letter from one of her younger siblings tacked up on the wall as well.

Nick's side was quite different. His wall was almost empty except for a picture of him and his mom when he was a kit. But other than that, the white wall that divided their space from another officers was the only thing that he saw. There was one more picture though. It was framed on his desk and sat right next to his computer. It was a picture of the day he graduated from the academy. It showed Judy pinning his badge on with a proud, loving smile on her face. Nick never wanted to forget that day. It was the day that his life changed for the better and he was no longer a shifty con artist.

Not that that thought didn't cross his mind anymore. Many nights he would lay in his bed and think about his past and how horrible of a person he really was. It hurt him even more to think about the fact of all he has hidden from Judy. To protect her, and him. Some nights he would stare at his badge and wonder. Wonder if he really deserved it. Wonder if he would ever slip back into his old life. But then he would look at the picture, the same picture that was framed on his desk, the one that sat on his nightstand as well, and he would smile. The look on Judy's face erased all thoughts of that because if a little bunny could have hope in a shifty fox, then so he.

"I… I am just struggling to accept that this is real. It all just feels like a bad dream. And I really want to wake up," Judy responded with a sigh. She looked up at the clock before she continued. "Only four more hours until this becomes reality."

Nick couldn't help but look at the clock. The red second hand was happily moving around the clock. He couldn't help but wish it would stop, even for a minute.

Suddenly, Judy gasped and swiftly reached into the pocket of her uniform. Her fingers moved at a furious pace as she spoke, "I never called my parents to make sure everything is ok!"

As she put her hand up to her ear, she stood up and began to pace around the little area in their cubicle in which she could. Nick could hear the ringing of the phone indicating that the other side hadn't picked up yet. It repeated once.

Twice.

Three times.

Before it could ring a fourth time, the phone was answered by a voice that sounded like it belonged to a child. " _Judy_?"

"Madeline! Is mom or dad there?"

Nick sat there in shock for a moment. She had, how many siblings again? He couldn' even remember but he knew it was a lot. And yet she was able to tell who it was by the sound of one simple word?

" _Yes, hold on Judy."_

There was silence on the other side of the line for a moment before Judy heard her mother answer with a sweet, " _Hello dear! What's up?"_

Judy took a deep breath. She didn't know how to respond at first. How does she tell them that there is another psychopath trying to kill her and this time her siblings are in danger? Because of her?

"I just wanted to check up on the family. How is everything going out there?"

Judy looked at Nick for reassurance and confidence. He gave her a small smirk and rolled his hands telling her to keep going, she was doing good. Closing her eyes, she turned back away and continued to pace.

" _Everything is good over here dear. Nothing to worry about. How about with you? Is Nick with you?"_

Judy sighed in relief that everything was fine. She sat down in her computer chair and put her head in her free hand.

" _Hello…?"_

Judy jumped. "Oh yes, yes I'm here. And yes, Nick is here with me, would you like to speak with him?"

Nick furiously shook his head but Judy wasn't facing him. It certainly wasn't that he didn't like Judy's parents, but he wasn't a completely social butterfly. He didn't like talking to her family because he was always afraid that he was going to say the wrong thing and scare them away.

" _I don't see why not! Hand the phone over will you?"_

Judy knew fine and well that Nick didn't love to talk to her parents. That would explain the smug look on her face when she turned and held out her hand which contained her phone.

Nick rolled his eyes at Judy who was smiling and took the phone. "Hi, Mrs. Hopps!"

" _Hey, Nick! How are things going on the job?"_

Nick awkwardly smiled before continuing the conversation. "Everything is good, thank you for asking. Making the world a better place as your lovely daughter would say."

Nick's head was running wild. _Lovely daughter? Are you serious Nick?_ Nick couldn't help but ignore the slight chuckle from behind him.

He turned his head to glare at her but she had already turned around and was typing feverously on her keyboard. Rolling his eyes, he turned around once more.

" _Well, that's excellent. Do you think I could talk to you in private for a moment?"_ Her voice had now dropped to a whisper in fear that Judy would overhear their conversation.

 _Great_ , Nick thought. _This is why I hate talking to people._ Thinking this was the end of Judy and his partnership or something drastic, he dreadfully slipped out of the cubicle without Judy noticing. Which quite frankly wasn't that hard. Whenever Judy was working on something, that was all she could focus on.

He headed down the hallway and slipped into a broom closet not to far away. "Ok, I'm alone. Away from prying bunny ears."

Her mother sighed. " _Good…_ " she paused. Nick's doubt that he was in trouble was suddenly wiped clean when he realized that something was wrong.

" _Nick, um… I don't know how to say this…_ " She paused again.

Nick was suddenly fear struck. This was something serious. "Please Mrs. Hopps, take your time."

" _A few weeks ago, we started to notice that Stu was never feeling good so we took him to to the doctor. After a visit to many different doctors, um… Stu was diagnosed with cancer, and, it um… it isn't good_."

Nick's heart stopped. This was not what Judy needed right now, or ever. But something confused him.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking, why did you want to tell me in private. With all due respect, shouldn't Judy know?"

A sad laugh came from the other side of the line. " _Oh Nick, don't you think I know something big is going on right now? Judy never calls us just to check up without a fun story to tell us. And whatever it is has her worried about us. I don't really know if I really want to know but it seems like she has a lot on her mind right now."_

Nick could help but let out a nervous laugh. "You have no idea, but don't worry. She has me and I promise you that I won't let anything happen to her as long as I live. When are you planning on telling her?"

There was silence on the phone. " _I don't know, Nick… I don't know."_

"Well, this is your decision. And I will keep your secret for you. But I want you to remember that Judy is a very strong girl and she has a strong partner who will be there with her every step of the way, you can count on that."

There was a sniff on the phone followed by, " _Thank you Nick. I can't tell you how much you mean to Stu and I. You have become our family. But I have to go. I um, thank you again."_

Nick couldn't hold back a smile from forming on his muzzle. "Thank you, bye now."

" _Bye Nick."_

The call ended leaving Nick standing in a broom closet alone. Turning her phone off, he opened the door and walked back to their cubicle. When he got to the door that read " _Hopps and Wilde,"_ Nick walked in and sat in his chair as he did almost everyday.

"So, what was that about? And since when do you and my mom talk in private?"

Turning around, he saw that Judy was leaning back in her chair with a curious grin on her face. He handed her the phone. Being a hustler for many years, lying wasn't a hard task. But lying to Judy always made him feel horrible.

"We were just talking about family and when I am going to come up and visit them again."

Judy laughed. "Oh, I see. Are you becoming a family man now huh? When did that happen?"

Nick put his hand on his heart, putting on his face that he always did when she was like this. Pretending like he was hurt, he responded, "I can't believe you think me not to be a family man."

Punching him in the shoulder, he gave a loud "Ow!" before she rolled her eyes and returned to her work. The second she turned around, Nick's smile faded the second she was no longer looking at him.

He absolutely hated lying to Judy. I mean, this wasn't the first time that he had, but it didn't meant that he felt good about it. If his parents were to have cancer, he thought, he would want to know. But he also knew that the mastermind case was really important to Judy and this would tear her apart.

With a sigh, Nick returned to his computer. He said a silent prayer that somehow this copycat would go away, even though he knew this was just the beginning. The beginning of a lot of pain, physically and emotionally.

(A/N: Hey guys! I can't believe that it is December! I wrote this chapter between baking cookies for the holidays today and they are delicious. Anyways, I hoped that you guys are enjoying this sequel. How do you guys feel about Judy's parents not telling her? What do you think Nick should do? I hope that you guys have a good rest of your weekend. Don't forget to leave a review! Love you guys! Keep on reading!)


	3. Chapter 3: Spilled

Three…

Two…

One…

The hour hand danced around the clock, it's partner the second's hand. They danced in circles for what seemed like 12 hours to a certain rabbit and fox. They had watched to clock tick down from three hours left, to two, and finally to one.

Since the call with Judy's mom, the two had sat in almost complete silence for 2 whole hours. A few of their co-workers had passed their cubicle and knocked on the door to make sure everything was ok due to the silence emanating from the usually rambunctious and loud office. They were met by a pair of individuals who seemed to be working really hard on something.

Which indeed they were. Both of them were looking up the toy store and trying to dig up any information on the Mastermind as possible. Between searches, Judy texted her family, trying to discreetly check up on them as often as she could while trying to be inconspicuous.

While she was busy with that, Nick was also typing away on his computer. But he couldn't shake off his guilt for lying to Judy. He wanted to turn around right then and there and tell her. However, at the same time, he didn't know if he could bear to see the look on Judy's face. Going into this case once more was already difficult on her, he didn't want to know how hard it would be if she knew that her father was also dying.

But that wasn't even the only thing running through his brain. The fact that he had called Judy beautiful on his phone call with her mom couldn't escape his train of thought. In fact, it seemed like every pit stop to the destination of whatever else he was trying to think of, that word was there, popping up every 5 seconds.

It had kinda just happened and he didn't have any reason to justify it other than that it was true. Which was another thing. Judy and Nick had been partners for a long time now. Almost 4 years. And the funny thing was that he never woke up a morning dreading to see her and he never spent a day without her not missing her. She had become a part of him and he didn't try to push her out.

It all started during the last Mastermind case. In the movie theatre. When Nick had walked into the dark movie theatre, he could see almost everything that was unfolding, due to his night vision of course. When he saw Judy helpless under Lucas, everything in him went haywire. Seeing the life drawn out of her made him realize something.

Judy was everything to him, and he didn't know what he would do if he lost her. Ever since then, every time that they went out in the field, there was a part of him that hated seeing her put in danger which never happened before. It wasn't that he didn't care but it seemed to him now that he cared too much, to the point he worried it would mess with their job.

There is a reason why the ZPD has a no dating your partner rule. It clouds your judgment, your thinking, your decision-making skills. That is why every time Nick thought that there was a tinge of… something in his heart, he swept it under the rug. He had no desire to waste their partnership over a little tug he felt every time she chased a perp down the street or drew her weapon in a shootout.

"Nick…?" Judy inquired, shattering his train of thought.

Nick quickly cleared his mind of the thoughts running through it and turned to see her holding the letter in her hands.

Clearing his throat, Nick replied with a, "Yes, Judy?"

"Um… I um… I…" Continuing to stumble on her words, she stopped, refusing to make eye contact with Nick. He waited for her to continue for another minute but no more words came out.

"Judy?"

Looking up at him for a brief second, he could see, and smell, fear in her. Fear and sadness. He wanted to say something else but before he could she stood up.

"I… We should get going soon so, um, I'm gonna go use the restroom quickly." Tossing the letter back on her desk she walked out of the room and down the hallway, and NIck was left wondering what on earth was going through her mind.

With two clicks, the two were strapped into their shared car, Nick behind the wheel. While Judy was using the bathroom, Nick had escaped to the car and taken the driver's seat. Judy always drove, no matter where they were going or what they were doing. So Nick was expecting a punch on the shoulder or her yelling at him to get out. But that was far from what happened. Approaching the passenger side door, Judy had hopped up and taken her seat without hesitation.

Nick was just about to put the keys into the ignition when Judy's paw shout out from her lap and blocked him.

" _Great, just when I thought that I would be able to drive,"_ Nick thought.

"Nick, we decided that we don't keep secrets, right?"

Nick looked over at her and her lavender eyes were staring at him. He nodded his head in response, guilt starting to build up in his chest.

"So tell me, why were you really talking to my mom?"

Nick's heart dropped to his stomach with a thud. He sat there staring at her. He didn't know what to do. They were just about to go and confront this new felon and here she is asking him to tell her what? That her father is dying? There was no way that he could tell her, but there was no way he could lie.

"I already told…"

"Just cut it out, Nick. You think I didn't pick up on your lie? You would think after years of hustling you would be a better liar." Her voice was stern now. Nick knew one thing, they weren't going anywhere until she knew.

Nick sighed. "Judy, you don't understand, I can't tell you."

She slowly became more and more upset, Nick could smell it. "And pray tell, why not."

"Your mother doesn't want you to know, Judy. That is her right, not…"

"Do you want to tell me?"

Nick, cut off by Judy responded with, "What?"

"I said, do you want to tell me?"

Staring at Judy, he contemplated his answer. He had no idea what to do. So he just stared.

"Nick, I have a right to know. I could die tonight…"

"Judy stop…"

"... and then I will have no idea what on earth it was that my mom finds so important to keep from me. Do you want me to die not know…"

"Please stop Judy…"

"...ing? If it is that bad tell me to my face, Nick? I am not a teenager anymore, I can handle it!"

"It's your dad!"

Nick exploded, he couldn't take it anymore. He hated fighting with her. He hated making her mad. And he certainly hated when she talked about dying on a mission. So he broke.

Judy's face softened and Nick could see her nose twitch. "Nick, what about my dad?"

Slamming his hand on the steering wheel out of anger, Nick turned his head to look out the window. He knew he had to tell her but he couldn't bear to see the look on her face.

"He is sick, isn't he…"

Judy's response made him turn his head around and stare at her. She was now facing forward, her hands fiddling in her lap, her eyes watching them.

"How…"

"My dad has always been the one to want to call and make sure I am ok. He would always rush to the phone to see me. He never missed on call. He called me from the hospital when he broke his leg one time, Nick. And yet he missed every single one today. Which means that he can't see me."

Nick stared at her. He suddenly felt horrible. She knew all day. And yet there he sat lying to her and now just yelling.

"He was um, diagnosed with cancer the other day Judy. And it's not good."

He wanted to turn away, but he couldn't. He just sat there watching as a tear formed in her eye. And he watched how it fell into her lap and made a dark circle on her pants.

Nick wanted to reach out and embrace her. Comfort her. Tell her everything was going to be ok. But it wasn't. He couldn't bring himself too. He just sat and watched as one teardrop turned to two. And two to three.

There it was. The tug. Except for this time, it was stronger than any other times. It pulled on his heart. Turning away, he tried to stop it, but it was useless. Glancing back, Nick admitted to himself something he never thought he would.

He loved her.

(A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed your weekend! What did you guys think? It honestly makes my day when I get to hear from you so go ahead and leave me a big, loving review. Think of it as an early Christmas present to me ;). I know that this chapter focuses a lot on thought and had a lot of dialogue but there are things as a writer that if you don't include, the writing won't feel as whole and sometimes that means adding a touchy-feely chapter right before an action-packed one (hint, hint to next chapter).I hope you guys have a great rest of your night! Till' next time, keep on reading!)


	4. Chapter 4: 19:00

Street lights began to light as the sun had begun its journey down, away from the city. The sky was starting to darken as a certain ZPD squad car drove down the streets. It was no 6:45 and the two were still five minutes away from their dreaded destination.

After their conversation outside the precinct, the ride was silent. Neither dared to say a word. Nick feared that whatever he said to comfort Judy would sound stupid and make everything worse. Judy didn't want to show the true agony that this news caused her so she continued to stare out the window, facing away from Nick so he wouldn't see the tears in her eyes.

She still didn't understand why he didn't tell her. " _Why was it so hard for him to tell the truth?"_ That was when it hit her like a brick.

He wasn't lying to her because it was her mother's decision, even though that may have played a part in it. He lied to protect her. Every time that she glanced over at him while he drove along the long, busy roads, she saw one look on his face. Sheer disappointment in himself.

And that was spot on. As Nick drove all he could think about was what Judy could possibly be thinking. He couldn't even fathom. When Nick had found out that his father was dead, Nick didn't know how to cope with it. Given, he was a lot younger than Judy at that time, it didn't matter. Grief was something that everyone experienced at one point in their life or another.

"Look, Judy. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. First of all, I shouldn't have lied to you. But when I told you, I shouldn't have shouted. I just… I hate it when you talk about dying on the job. And that just set me over the edge again. I promise I will try to never do that again, you didn't deserve it. Not then, not ever. I'm sorry."

The silence that was hanging in the air shattered, it's shards of glass falling over Judy. Her ears twitched at the sound of his voice but she didn't look away from the window. In fact, she didn't say anything at all. Not at that moment at least.

A mere 5 minutes later she responded. "I, um… Look," she said, now turning to look at him, "I shouldn't have pushed you like that. If you didn't want to tell me, I shouldn't have been so pushy. In fact, I certainly hope I don't screw up our mission tonight because of this. I accept your apology, but you don't deserve all the blame so I am sorry too."

Nick nodded his head. "I'm just glad we cleared that up. The silence in here was about to drive me mad."

Turning her head back to the window, Judy snickered. It had been killing her too. However, it wasn't long before Nick indicated that they were there.

They both stared in front of them as their car came to a holt. Sitting in front of them was Brigham's Toyshop, lights obliterated due to the fact that it had closed at 6.

Neither could say just how long they sat there, their breath the only noise in the car and the building the only thing their eyes laid upon. Judy jumped when she felt something touch her paw, but quickly calmed when she realized that it was Nick's hand. He was now looking at her and her at him. With a squeeze, Nick spoke.

"I would ask you if you were ready but I know we never will be. So how about this. Are you willing to go with me to catch this bastard?"

Judy felt a slight grin creep up on her face. Holding his head a little tighter, she said, "Of course."

They held this position, staring into each other's eyes. Neither knew if they froze because of the fear of what was about to happen or the warming sensation they both felt from the experience.

Reluctantly releasing the grip that held them together, they each stepped out of their side of the vehicle. As Nick stepped away from the car, he felt it. The tug. Shaking his head, he tried to stop thinking of anything of the sort. There was no room for error anymore. Not now that they were here.

The crisp air of the night was starting to blow against them, but it was still faint. The building towered over the two smaller mammals. Of course in Zootopia, everything was larger than the two of them to accommodate for the 100's of species. Judy started to work her way towards the door while Nick continued to stand next to the car, the tug still pulling him.

On the door, Judy noticed something taped to the reflective glass. Walking up to it, she reached her paw up and peeled it away, holding it in her paw. Nick was now standing behind her, curious as she read what it said. The piece of paper she held in her hand was folded in half and when she opened it up the words, _Meet me out back,_ were printed in a nice handwriting, a mix of cursive and print. Crumpling the paper knowing it was no use testing it for DNA, Judy tossed it behind her and started to make her way around the building, unholstering her gun as she did. Nick followed suit.

As the two them were walking, the padding on their feet crunching against the gravel walkway, their thoughts ran wild. What they could see in the back could be a multitude of things. For all they knew, there was a killer clown around that corner.

Judy was praying that her family was safe. That no one had hurt them.

Nick was praying that his family would stay safe as well. The one person that made up his family. Judy.

The stone wall finally came to a stop and the two cautiously rounded the corner, the crunches of their feet the only noise they dared to make. But neither of them were prepared for what they saw.

Fashioned into the shape of a heart lay bodies. Countless bodies. From a rat to a zebra, there were all different species, 10 in total. The blood from each had made a red border around the shape and the smell which Nick had not caught before they had turned the corner, smelled of blood and flesh.

But that wasn't the worst part. In the middle lay an envelope, held down by a paperweight made of the head of a bunny. Its ears were drooped down the back of its head and its lifeless eyes seemed to stare at Judy.

This wasn't the first time that Nick and Judy had experienced blood and bodies such as these, but something about this was over the top disturbing. Judy walked towards the bodies slowly, carefully placing one foot in front of the other and moving forward. Nick followed close behind her. Both of them still had their guns drawn.

Judy was shaking, her gun quivering with every step she took. Her ears were perked as far up as possible, listening for the slightest movement. She could hear that Nick was right behind her and somehow that seemed to calm her nerves a little bit.

By the time she reached the heart, she had to step over an otter. Its body was covered in bruises and blood and Judy's stomach lurched at the sight. But her sights were set on the blood covered letter in the middle.

Step.

Step.

Step.

They continued forward when Judy stopped and looked down at the letter that now rested a few inches from the end of her foot. She stared, at the letter and the bunny and the sloppy writing of her name on the envelope.

Nick watched her. Watched as she stood there, like a statue, waiting for the strength to reach down and grab the letter. However, Nick's ear twitched to the left when he heard something come from one of the allies.

The back of the toy store was a small lot that was gravel covered and there were other small businesses on the other side of the gravel lot. You could see the street through the two different alleys between the sets of small businesses and it was a wonder how no one had seen the bodies before they got there. That was when it dawned on him.

That would be impossible in a city with this many people. Whoever did this, did it recently, and could very possibly still be here.

The alley in which he had heard the faint noise was the one on the left. Nick turned his body and raised his gun slightly. Judy had noticed her partner's movement but didn't want to say anything in case there was danger. So, realizing their time could be short there, she reached down and snatched the envelope which to her surprise was covered in a plastic-like seal, to prevent the blood from ruining it.

"Nick, I have the letter," Judy said quietly, shoving the letter into the pocket of her uniform, "Let's go."

That was when a gunshot rang out through the air. Neither Judy nor Nick had discharged their weapons and the shot had come from the ally to the left, the one that Nick had heard a noise in a moment ago.

Without a second thought, the pair ran to the dumpster to get some cover, sitting with their guns held close to their chest.

"Judy are you hit?" Nick frantically inquired, looking at his partner seated beside him.

"No, you?"

With a sigh of relief, Nick replied, "No, I don't think so."

Popping her head around the corner Judy saw a figure run out of the alleyway from behind a trashcan and out onto the street. Immediately, she hopped to her feet and sprinted away from her cover. However, when she reached the street, the perp dressed in black was nowhere to be found.

Feeling defeated and shook, Judy walked back to Nick who was once again standing in the heart of bodies

"Judy take a look at this," Nick said, looking at the bunny's head.

It was also on its side now rather than staring straight ahead. When she looked, she saw that the bullet that had been shot had hit the bunny's head which was now spilling a mix of water and blood out of the side of its head.

"It's a sign, Nick. There is no way that that shot was an accident."

They both stared until they couldn't. Judy felt the letter move in her pocket when she took a step and pulled it back out. "I guess we got what we came for," she said, turning the plastic-encased envelop in her hands, "so I think we can get out of here."

After phoning Bogo and the forensics team to the scene, the officers were dismissed back to their car. When questioned about the perp, all Judy could say was that it was dressed in black, for she couldn't get a good look at the height or weight from her distance.

By the time they were back at their car, night had fully fallen upon the city of Zootopia, it's dark blanket wrapping the city up.

Judy's stomach was doing somersaults and she didn't know how to control her mixed emotions. But she knew one thing. If they were going to catch this guy, they were going to need to be prepared for anything. Even whatever he crafted and put into the envelope which now sat in her lap.

Nick watched as Judy picked up the envelope and cut it's seal, pulling a piece of white paper out. There was a big heart on the front of the folded piece, but when she unfolded it, she wasn't surprised to see another long paragraphed addressed to her.

She inhaled a sharp breath before beginning.

 _Dear Judy…_

(A/N: I know, I know, I left you with pretty much the same cliffhanger at the end of the last book but it's just so much fun. Hope you guys enjoyed this extremely twisted chapter. I promise more action is on the way since that wasn't much. I would love to hear what you think of the story so please don't forget to review this story. I pour a lot of time and energy into these chapters for you guys and the most rewarding part is getting feedback from you guys. I wasn't feeling the best today but that has never stopped me before! :) I checked back up on the original story, Mastermind, and you guys are hitting that story up. Thanks so much for the support on both stories! Love you all. As always, keep on reading!)


	5. Chapter 5: Secret Admirer

Nighttime had fallen upon Zootopia. The lights that lined the streets were shining brightly, casting their beams to the people and objects down below. Many species walked in the light of the lamps, waltzing with the warm colored light upon them. One street light shone down on a certain police car that sat in silence. It's contents were one rabbit, one fox, and a letter that could seal their fate.

Neither wanted to read the letter out loud, so Judy held the letter in her paw between the two of them. Their eyes were tracing, back and forth, back and forth as the letters on the paper flew, implanting its words in their brains.

 _Dear Judy,_

 _I hope you enjoyed the little surprise that I left for you. I thought, what better way to share my affection for the girl I love than to send her a heart. Think of it as a valentine. I promise you, that bunny in the middle had no relation to the Hopps bloodline. Well, not directly anyway. Her name was Alexandra Stowes, your brother Anthony's girlfriend. I'm sure you guys have met. I sincerely regret not being there in person to deliver you this gift but something came up. You wouldn't mind trying again would you dear? How about… a movie? Too bad the Buckhouse theatre is still closed from last time you guys tried to stop us. So maybe, how about Treeman's in Tundratown. It's really nice there. I might even bring you another present. Remember, if you so much as disobey a single request, your siblings may receive an unexpected visitor. It would be fun to just pick them off one by one as they play outside, don't you think? Well, anyways got to go. But before I do, I just wanted to say that you shouldn't take your partner for granted, he might not always be there to protect you._

 _Love,_

 _Mastermind._

Sickness flooded Judy's stomach like a tsunami. The fact that he loved her? That was disgusting and Judy felt disgusted in every way possible. He had killed her brother's girlfriend to pin down a letter in the middle of a heart made of dead mammals. He wrote to her like they were lovers or friends, like they were having an average conversation about killing people. But that wasn't even the part that upset her the most.

The last sentence made her begin to shake with fear. Nick was her family, her partner, her best friend, the person she loved pretty much more than anyone on the face of the earth. And he had the audacity to threaten him? Her blood boiled.

Nick, being a faster reader than Judy, had finished in about double the time that she had and he sat there staring at her and her lavender eyes which flew from one end of the paper to the other. Nick knew she was done, not when she looked away from the paper, as she never did, but when her eyes stopped moving back and forth and sat there staring. The paper quivered as her hand shook.

Reaching out, he turned to her while wrapping his right paw around her's and taking the letter out of it with his left. With the twitch of her nose, Judy turned to him. Her eyes wide, she stared at him, as though asking him what to do.

Now, some would think that Judy was weak in this situation compared to Nick, but Nick knew that that was far from true. There was no comparing her reaction to his because the letters were not addressed to him. The letters did not speak to him like they spoke to her. In fact, he thought that she was extremely strong. She could have asked to have been removed from the case or never even came to the toy store, but she didn't. She faced what was ahead of her no matter what obstacles. It might be a bumpy road but she always persevered and Nick wanted to make sure that that spark in her never got extinguished.

Nick opened his mouth to speak but closed it again when Judy hopped from her seat and onto his. Sitting with her butt on the seat and her legs on his, she wrapped her arms around his waist.

She didn't cry. Not this time. She just needed to be there with Nick. There was something about him, his scent, his touch, his fur, that calmed her down. She couldn't explain it other than the fact that he had become a part of her, a part that she couldn't live without. Which brought her train of thought in a loop back to that last sentence of the letter.

What she hadn't realized is that her thought train had involuntarily made her squeeze Nick tighter.

"Carrots… need… air…"

Quickly realizing her mistake, Judy released Nick and let got of his waist. "Sorry Nick!" she said apologetically.

Overdramatically inhaling and exhaling, Nick said, "Carrots, are you trying to kill me?"

With a playful punch to his shoulder, which he nursed dramatically as well, she grinned a little. However, it faded fast.

"No," she said solemnly, "But someone else is."

It took him a second but he quickly realized what she had meant. The last sentence of the letter, the one addressed to him. Last time that this had happened, Nick had to convince Judy to let him continue to be her partner and it was looking like this time was going to be no different.

"Judy…"

"No, Nick. I know what you are going to say but there is no way that you can promise me that you are going to stay safe. We have no idea what will happen at the theatre. I mean, look at what happened last time!" Judy hadn't even realized but her voice had gradually become louder and more dramatic as she spoke. "I understand that this is a part of the job. I understand that you are my partner. Heck, you are more than a partner to me but ugh! I just… this whole situation disgusts me and I don't know if I would ever be able to live with myself if I knew that you died because of me."

Nick's heart had fluttered when she had said that he was more than a partner to her. There was a part of him that hoped that she had the same tug that he did whenever he was around her. But there was another part of him that feared what would happen if he ever told her how he had been feeling recently.

"Judy," Nick began, "tell me, how would it be your fault? Unless you are the one to pull the trigger, it couldn't be your fault. So unless you plan on shooting me when we go, nothing that happens will be your fault. Now, if I recall, we already had this conversation once before and who won? I did. So before you lose this conversation again, why don't we drop it?"

With a sigh, Judy recalled the last time that they had this conversation. She realized that they hadn't changed much since the last time, she still felt the same way about Nick being in on the operation. But at the same time, she didn't know how she would handle it if he wasn't here.

"I hate it when your right," she mumbled into his chest.

Placing his muzzle on the top of her head between her ears, he replied. "You know you love me."

Slightly shaking her head, she replied, her voice making the tug in Nick's chest pull once more. "Do I know that?" She paused, something that he had taught her to do many years ago at a certain press conference, "Yes, yes I do."

Nick and Judy walked side by side into the precinct as they did every other day. They both wore the same expression as every day as well. Nick wore a half awake, half still asleep look while Judy's eyes were wide open and there was a big hop in her step as she approached Clawhauser desk.

"Morning Ben! How are you today?" Judy asked chipperly, the smile on her face contagious.

Clawhauser smiled. With a mouth full of donuts, as always, he said, "Good. But it's not about to be for Nick." Both of them giving a puzzling look to the chubby cheetah behind the desk, he continued, "I just got a call from the chief and he wants to talk to you Wilde. I don't know about what, but usually one on one time with the chief isn't a great thing.

Nick looked down at Judy who had her arms crossed and wore a smart look on her face. "So slick, what did you do this time?"

Nick couldn't help but smile at her ridiculous face. "I'll have you know that I don't know this time, honest."

Rolling her eyes, she told him that she would meet him at roll call and gave him the friendly reminder not to be late. It wasn't so much that she didn't want Nick to get in trouble but more of the fact that that designated them a seat on the parking duty roster, which Judy absolutely despised.

Chuckling at her last comment, he shuffled his way up the stairs to the door that read what Nick thought should say Chief Buffalo Butt but instead said Chief Bogo. His knock was followed by a deep, "Come in."

Nick wasn't even seated in the oversized chair before the chief skipped the pleasantries and began. "I am afraid I have bad news."

 _Great,_ Nick thought, _this is exactly how I wanted to start my morning._

"After the last Mastermind fiasco, I had the ZPD install cameras outside your and Judy's apartments. And last night we caught this one the one outside of Judy's."

Turning the monitor on his desk around, Nick saw a camera view from the corner of the hallway outside of Judy's apartment. After a moment of nothing, a figure dressed in black walked down the hallway and made their way to Judy's door. After fiddling with the lock for a few minutes, they waltzed right into her apartment, leaving the door ajar.

Nick felt sick to his stomach. Judy had no recollection of any of this or certainly she would have told him. The fact that whoever this is, Mastermind or not, had gotten that close to Judy without her knowing or without her consent made his stomach churn.

About a minute later, the figure exited the room, quietly closing the door behind him and shuffling back down the hallway and out of sight, never once, showing his face to the camera.

After turning his monitor back around, Bogo folded his hooves together and leaned forward. "I didn't want to alarm Officer Hopps, so that is why I am only sharing this footage with you. However, this will not go unnoticed. I cannot have my best officer's shabby apartments being broken into like that. So I have two options for you. You can either have protection stationed at your doors every night until this whole fiasco is over, or, there is an apartment somewhere in Zootopia that I can send you and Judy to so that whoever this is no longer know where you are. You will know why this is happening but I would like Hopps to only know that this is happening for your safety during this case and not because of what you just saw because the last thing I want is to put something else on that crazy mind of hers. Do you understand?"

Nick nodded his head. "Yes, sir."

"Now," he continued, "should I have security placed at both of your apartments, or should you begin to pack your things so we can relocate you?"

Nick thought about it. Both ways made him feel much better about not only his protection but Judy's however, he was leaning more towards them moving. That way, whoever this is, has no way of finding them because human protection can only do so much in certain situations. Rooming with Judy hadn't even crossed his mind during the decision. All that did was the security and comfort it would provide for both of them.

"We will pack our bags, sir."

With a mutual nod between the two, Nick rose, saluted, and walked out of Bogo's office and hastily made his way down to roll call, knowing Bogo would somehow find a way to beat him there just to punish him.

(A/N: Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed that chapter and I hope that you guys are having a great holiday season. Despite the craziness of my life, writing always has it's priority because I know you guys are counting on my updates. Thanks to those of you who have been following this story. Please don't forget to leave a review or PM me because I would love to see how you feel about this sequel. If I am doing something wrong or strange, I can't fix it unless ya'll point it out so go ahead and do so because I will never get better without criticism. Thanks again for the support and as always, keep on reading!)


	6. Chapter 6: An Open Window

Racing through the backdoor of roll call, Nick scrambled to get to his seat before the chief walked in. Luckily, he had beaten Bogo and was safe in his shared seat with Judy seconds before the side door opened.

"Way to cut it close Wilde." Fangmeyer wore a mocking grin while addressing Nick.

With a grin, Nick turned around. "Says the one who showed up late to work, still hungover because you couldn't cut it off."

The room erupted in laughter as the chief walked in.

"SHUT UP!" The chiefs bellowing voice filled the room and the officers immediately stood to salute the chief.

It was a usual roll call. Officers being punished were running meter maid duty and many officers were set on parole. Nick and Judy were given an updated case file and told they knew what to do.

When they were dismissed, Judy began to make her way to their cubicle to open the file, however, a paw on her shoulder stopped her from going any farther.

"We are going home," he said, as she turned around.

She hated how he was always vague in his statements. It was almost as though he enjoyed seeing the confused look on her face when she would inquire why he had made a comment. Turning to face him and lifting her head to look at him she spoke. "Why?"

Nick hadn't realized just how close he was standing next to her when he had tapped her shoulder. And now she was about a foot below his muzzle, staring up at him with her beautiful eyes. It didn't seem to faze Judy at all. He felt the tug pull on his heart for a second, his brain blanking on the current situation. However, he was easily able to snap out of it before Judy noticed.

"Because we have bags to pack."

Judy was annoyed. Another vague statement. Another _I know something you don't know_ smile on his muzzle. "What?"

Brushing against her as he walked, he moved forward and started to make his way towards their car. With a swish of his tail, he flicked her as he walked away. Flustered and annoyed, she began to follow after her partner. Following him, she thought of what had just happened. ,

When she had turned around she hadn't realized just how close she was standing to him until his muzzle was right above hers. He had froze for a second. Anyone else wouldn't have noticed but she did. Whenever NIck's brain was somewhere else, he would wear this certain face and pause for a certain amount of time before continuing. It was a tell that only she could pick up. Since he continued the conversation like normal, she was hesitant to even recognize what had just happened. _Maybe it didn't even happen_ she thought to herself as she shuffled her feet towards the door. _Maybe it was a figment of my imagination. Yeah, that's it. I must just be tired._

She couldn't put into words the strange feelings that she had had the last few days. She felt a strange feeling when she was around him. A sort of… tug on her heart. She couldn't explain it. Not even to herself. She didn't say anything, obviously, because despite her unknowing to why this had started happening, somewhere deep inside she knew why.

She…

"Hurry up carrots! We don't have all day slow poke!" Nick shouted from the passenger side window. Shaking her head she swiftly made her way to the car and strapped in, shutting out the thoughts that had just flooded her mind.

"So what is the deal Nick, what is important enough to keep us from work?"

Nick huffed, "We are not being kept from work, we are going to work, but we aren't going to work at work… Wow, that was awfully confusing."

Judy giggled, "A little." Putting the keys in the ignition she started the vehicle.

"Mine or yours?"

After a second of thinking he realized what she had meant. "Let's start at yours," he said as Judy began to pull out of the parking lot, "and before you get even more frustrated with me…"

Judy rolled her eyes.

"... Bogo is relocating us. It wouldn't be very hard to break into either of our apartments and Bogo isn't playing this time. He is having both of us stay in a secret apartment somewhere in Zootopia. I don't know where but he said that it would be in our best interest to go."

"Ok."

Nick turned to her, now wearing a confused face himself. "No rebuttal, no we can fend for ourselves, no complaining you have to room with me, no feeling like your being babied? Nothing?"

She smiled as she pulled out of the parking lot. "Sorry to disappoint."

Nick laughed. "Not disappointing, just extremely unexpected." Usually, Judy completely hated being babied or told what to do. She was probably the most rebellious officer on the force when it came to direct orders. However, rules were a different thing. For the most part, Judy was a by the book cop and Nick was the one who was constantly bending the rules. It seemed to Nick at times that Judy had a problem with authority when it came to personal or dangerous situations. She was always right… even if she wasn't. That's why her completely going along with Bogo's orders to move both of us was shocking to him.

"I was actually kind of thinking about moving somewhere myself. I don't know why but this morning, there seemed to be things out of place. I know that my apartment isn't necessarily clean and I was really tired last night but things just seemed… different. Quite frankly I don't even know why, it's stupid I know but it just didn't feel right. I'm probably crazy."

Nick shuddered. "No, it's not crazy."

"You know, the weirdest thing is that my uniform was on the floor. Out of everything, I think that is what set me off the most."

Judy always hung up her uniform when it it wasn't being worn or washed. Everytime that Nick had come over to her apartment, it was hung nicely on the hook on her wall. Everytime.

"Even if I was really tired, I still would have hung it up. I mean there is a possibility that I dropped it and didn't notice. That's probably it."

Nick didn't say anything this time. He hadn't even noticed, but he was now staring out the front window with a scared look on his face. He felt a sickness in his stomach. Judy glanced over at him. "Nick, is something wrong?"

Snapping out of the temporary trance that his thoughts had put him in, he responded. "I…" He contemplated telling her. The chief had said not to, not wanting to worry her more. But Nick was tired of lying and secrecy between them. He didn't want to worry her but if she was already offset, confirming what she thought wouldn't worry her more would it?

"Spit it out slick."

Turning to face her and changing his view from the cars passing by in front of them to the lavender eyes that belonged to his partner. "I guess you should know why Bogo wanted to see me."

Judy looked confused, "You already told me, we are moving in together to a secret apartment. Is that not it?"

"No, no it is. But there is more of a reason than worry. After the last Mastermind… encounter… they placed cameras in the hallways of both of our apartments. Last night, the camera picked up a medium sized mammal break into your apartment. It never showed its face to the camera, like, it knew it was there. Which, doesn't make sense. The camera was well hidden…" Nick began to think. The camera was a professional camera that was so tiny, it was impossible to indicate. So how did anyone know that it was there?

"Nick, what? Someone broke into my apartment?" Judy looked shook. Nick could smell the fear on her.

Nick sighed, turning his eyes back to the road ahead of them. "Bogo didn't want me to tell you because he didn't want you to worry anymore but when you told me that you were already offset, I thought you deserved to know."

"Well yeah I deserved to know! Ugh," she grunted, flopping back in her seat, "the chief is impossible sometimes!"

"Calm down fluff. I think that this knowledge helps us. As I was saying, no civilian would be able to know it was there. Which means that whoever this is, knows it was installed."

Judy's face brightened at the sign of new evidence. "This could mean that there is someone on the inside. Or someone in my building."

With that, the pair pulled up in front of Judy's apartment building. It hadn't changed much since the nighthowler case. It was still as shabby as always. The paint job on the outside o the building was chipped... basically everywhere.

They both walked out of the car and up to Judy's apartment with the utmost caution. Judy's last words had sparked concern in both of their minds. With the sound of the pads of their feet meeting the ground with a soft pat, they walked down the hallway to Judy's apartment.

With the jingle of her keys and the click of the door, the two entered her apartment. The bedding was made as it was everyday, from the second Judy got out of bed. For how small and dirty her apartment appeared, she always kept it clean. Everything had a place. The table next to her door held her keys as she walked in the door, flinging them into the little bowl that say there. Her fridge was filled with plenty of food for him and her. Since they were at each others places so often they both had food for the two of them. Nick threw his coat on the hook as Judy closed the door behind her. Nick was about to walk over to get a drink from the fridge but froze with his paw on the handle.

Judy, hanging her coat up laughed. "Forgot what you were going to get from in there for Nick?"

However, when her quick witted partner didn't give a response, she looked at him once more. He wasn't looking at the fridge, but her desk.

Her view of the desk was obstructed due to the fact that her partner was standing in front of her. Moving over to the left a little she gazed at what his emerald eyes were looking at.

Judy felt sick to her stomach. Not only had they come to her house while she was sleeping, but now they had been here while she was at work in the morning. How did she know for sure that it was the Mastermind himself? Sitting on her desk were two tickets for Treemans Theatre in Tundratown. One said her name, and the other said her partners.

Nick walked over and picked up the tickets and placed them in the pocket of his uniform without giving them a second glance. He didn't need to. He knew what they were and right now, that was not their priority.

"Now where was I? Ah yes, getting my blueberry shake from the fridge."

Nick always kept a few things in Judy's fridge for when he came over. And the drink he always brought was a blueberry yogurt shake. It wasn't fresh, of course. He bought it at the supermarket near her apartment on his way over.

Blueberries were a funny thing for the two. They were more than Nick's favorite food and somewhat addiction. They were also a symbol of them cracking their first case. Together.

Judy watched as he pulled his favorite drink out of the fridge and closed it. Since she first moved to Zootopia, Judy had gotten a TV and a small couch with two cushions, one of which was now taken up by Nick as he began to flip through the channels.

" _... and now you add the sauce to the pan and…"_

 _*click*_

" _... and now your host…"_

 _*click*_

" _...The last attack has not been for months. Started by Lucas Grey, the Mastermind lives on. A copy cat has now arose, killing multiple mammals. Sources say that this criminal has links to Officer Judy Hopps, who is one of the lead officers on the case…"_

 _*click*_

With that, the TV went black. Judy snapped out of the temporary trance that the announcer on the TV had put her in and walked over to sit next to Nick.

Judy remembered when she had first had Nick over. On her little couch, in her little apartment, she felt the need to put as much space between the two of them as possible. They would both sit on opposite sides of the couch and the atmosphere was almost… awkward. However, that was no longer the case. Many laughs, many jokes, even tears have been shared on that couch. Even lots of cuddles. Judy no longer felt the need to sit on the opposite side of the couch. In fact, most times she would sit with her head on his chest, on his shoulder, or when she was really tired, on his lap.

Sitting down, she sat close to him. Leaning up against the side of his chest, he moved his arm around her. Anyone else would think this position of lovers, however, to them, it was more like family. Nick and Judy were so close with one another that neither really minded any physical interaction like si\ting next to each other or hugging.

Judy sat there was she felt the rising and falling of Nick's chest as he breathed. The rhythm of it, the feel of it, had a calming power to it that she couldn't put into words.

Nick didn't feel much different. In the midst of the craziness of life, Judy was always there. Her scent always had a weird way of making him forget about everything that was wrong with the world. It was like, every problem that they were facing was washed away.

That made him think. What if one day, Judy wasn't there to comfort him? What if this time, they wouldn't come out on top? What if the Mastermind wins? What if he is left without a partner? What if… he leaves her without a partner.

Shaking this thought train away, he spoke. "You know," began Nick, "We aren't getting much done by sitting here on the couch Carrots. We have two whole apartments to pack and we only have one day."

Judy giggled. "Yeah but it's not like we are doing nothing."

Now it was Nick's turn to laugh. "What do you mean? We are literally being couch potatoes right now, which means we are doing nothing."

"Well, if we are being couch potatoes, then we are doing something. So yes, yes we are doing something"

Nick rested his head down on Judy's, his muzzle resting on top of her left ear. "Sly bunny."

"Soft fox," Judy mumbled as she closed her eyes and leaned even more into her partner. Nick rolled his eyes at her last comment. However, their intimate place on the couch started to make his brain ponder.

He wondered what was going through Judy's mind at times like these. Did the same things that were running through his mind also run through hers? There were times like these that the tug in Nick's heart was too strong to hide, too big to shove under the rug. He consciously let his mind run wild at times like these. _What ifs_ were something that consumed his mind like a raging wildfire at her touch. Sometimes he would try to shut down the thoughts of something… more between them, but to no avail. He didn't understand it. This, feeling that he had acquired for Judy had not come voluntarily. In fact he hated it. But it had naturally grown on him after the last Mastermind case. Something about the realization that Judy almost died, almost left him, left him realizing that he didn't know what he would do without her.

He lifted his head off of her ear and gazed down on her. Her eyes were closed and her head was nestled into him. Her face looked peaceful for the first time in the last two days.

"Carrots?"

Mumbling into his fur she replied with a, "Yes Nick?"

"As much as I would love to sit with you here on the couch all night, we do have some packing to do."

A large "Ugh," came from Judy's lips as she sat up. Standing on her feet, she made here way over to the closet where there were boxes from when she had first moved in.

Why did she still have those boxes? Because she was hoping that one day she would afford a nice place, one a huge step up from this. However, something always stopped her when she googled openings in the area. There was something about the rickety bed and the noisy neighbors that Judy couldn't seem to part with.

After pulling them out she walked over to her bed to set them down. On her way over, the cool morning breeze caressed her fur.

"Nick, did you open the window?" she asked, puzzled over why it was open. She was sure that she had closed it this morning before work, in fact it was never open this morning. And she ws sure that she hadn't opened it when she and Nick arrived.

"No, Carrots. I thought you did."

Her instincts immediately kicked in. Placing her paw on her gun in her holster, she slowly took a step towards the window. Gazing out onto the fire escape, a sign caught her attention. Pinned down in the corners with rocks, it read…

 _IF NICHOLAS WILDE CONTINUES TO SIT THAT CLOSE TO YOU, I WILL MAKE SURE HE NEVER SITS NEAR ANYONE EVER AGAIN._

(A/N: Hey everyone. I am SO sorry for the wait. Christmas vacation caught up with me and I couldn't find the time to finish my thoughts. That is why I made this chapter a little longer than usual to make up for it ;). I hope that you guys had a great break as I did and I am wishing you all a very Happy New year. Please don't forget to leave a review or PM me with any suggestions or feedback on this story. I am loving the support from some of you so thanks for that. Well, that's all for now. Don't forget, keep on reading.)


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